Moringa & Nespresso: synergies to create environmental value

In 2015, Moringa started a long term partnerships with “Nicafrance Outgrowers”, a company that developed one of the most innovative cluster of coffee farms in Central America and a unique agroforestry system, combining coffee plantations and ten local trees species.

At the heart of Moringa’s convictions, this program focuses on the rehabilitation of pasture land and abandoned coffee farms, severely affected by rust and the effects of global warming, through transferring state of the art techniques to small and medium coffee growers.

By joining forces, the small producers get operational support, innovative techniques and knowledge on agronomic research

CIRAD, a French agricultural research organization and Sustainable Management Service (SMS), the sustainability division of “Ecom Agro industrial”, a Lausanne based coffee processor and merchant provide knowledge on agroecology and coffee processing. Famers also get access to credit facilities and a guaranteed market place to sell their product. Through fostering innovative utilization of one of the country’s principal economic resources, the impact of this project will deliver strong environmental and social improvements for the local population.

Since its creation, the partnership has enabled the rehabilitation of 2,000ha degraded land, the partial renovation of 20 small to medium-sized farms, which have joined the cluster. It also enables the creation of new jobs in areas where there was no employers before.

20 000HAof land was rehabilitated

20farms were renovated

Nespresso recently joined this ongoing journey of value creation as a combination of its AAA Program for Sustainable Quality, and search for the world’s finest coffee crafts. Part of the new company master origin coffee portfolio, the first 100% Nicaraguan-origin capsule was created thanks to this partnership. Resulting from a meticulous and rare processing technique that allows the coffee fruit’s natural sugar to infuse the very heart of the beans. This long process requires a tight selection of producers, willing to commit to best quality. Through this partnership, Nespresso benefits from a secure sourcing of its raw material, while it ensures a significant price premium for the outgrowers.

Building on the notoriety of the brand of Nespresso and its promotional efforts, the Nicaraguan specialty coffee will bring an innovative flavor profile to coffee amateurs and greater visibility to Nicaraguan coffee producers. Most importantly, this collaboration validates and reinforces the concept of clusters through their ability to create shared value, with a view to its further development.

In light of this success, Moringa and its partners, are already planning their next step for further growth of the cluster.